Denver Recap

The 14^th stop on the NHRA Mello Yellow tour and the 1^st stop on the western swing brought us to Denver, CO for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. This event was a usual 3 day event that had all the sportsman classes that we are all so familiar to seeing, even with the addition of Super Street cars. Quotas for this event were set low at 45-55 for every class except Top Sportsman and Top Dragster being at 36, even with the low quotas the only sportsman class that was full was Super Comp, and Stock/Super Stock only having 49 cars combine. Being a factored track that is carved into the side of a mountain, you would hope that has to be the main reason the car counts were so low. But with a beautiful forecast and the facility/track it-self being what I would call a “bucket list” place to go to, I would think the classes would get more than 20-30 cars. Overall the race was completed quickly on Sunday, almost ahead of schedule with a few first time and veteran winners.

Comp: David Rampy over Jessie Oman

With his 96^th Wally here this weekend on the mountain, Rampy looks as though he is going to become a member of the 100 win club by the end of the season. Rampy was qualified #6 at .648 under the index and came into the final round with no CIC penalty. Oman qualified #8 and was down .08 on his index. Oman was giving Rampy about a bulb head start and just didn’t have enough power to run down the “clean” Rampy, even with the reaction time advantage (.010 to .035).

Super Stock: Dan Fletcher over Justin Jenkins

Fletcher goes back to his “bread and butter” class to get his 2^nd win of the season and 101^st overall. Fletcher was away first with a killer .002 light chasing his 11.09 dial and running 11.122. Jenkins was hunting down Fletcher with his 10.30 dial and just missed it, breaking out by .002 (10.298) with a .026 light.

Stock: Kevin Helms over Scott Wells

Helms scores his 2^nd Stock Eliminator win this year and his 26^th overall. After a huge reaction time advantage, Helms ran an 11.296 on the 11.25 dial with a .036 for the win. Wells who got away with a .091 light in the semis, just couldn’t get away with it again against someone like Kevin Helms and lit it up .092 and ran 12.624 on the 12.61.

Super Comp: Kris Whitfield over Gary Wamboldt

Whitfield goes back to back years winning at Denver and collects his 2^nd ever National Event win. It seems as though this race was all over from the let go as Whitfield starts out with a 6 hun reaction time advantage with his .016 light. And at the stripe it was Whitfield running 9.544 on the factored 9.50 index for the win. Wamboldt ran a closer 9.515 but was just in the way with his .074 reaction time.

Super Gas: Bradley Johnson over Morgan Minor

Johnson gets his 1^st ever National Event win in his 2^nd ever final, in an all D5 final round matchup. Johnson escapes first with a great .009 light to Minors .043 light. At the end Johnson got the double breakout win by running 10.464 on the 10.50 index over the faster 10.432 for Minor.

Super Street: Troy Grant over John Bianco

Grant collects his 3^rd Wally as Bianco breaks out by just 1 little thou. Up against the factored 11.50 index, Grant smacks the tree with a .005 light and runs 11.553. Bianco was behind at the hit with a .034 light and actually got to the stripe first by .025 but broke out by .001 running 11.499, giving the win the Grant.

Top Sportsman: Randy Cruickshank over Bud Preuss

Cruickshank is now 100% on final rounds as he gets his first ever Wally in his first ever final. Cruickshank was given the head start with his 7.94 dial to Preuss 7.17 dial, and the race was over less than a second into the run for Cruickshank as Preuss goes .005 red. Cruickshank was .011 on the tree and then both drivers get out of the gas at the end once the early win light came on.

Top Dragster: Brad Basgall over Jason Covington

We have another first time winner as Basgall takes the trophy home in another all D5 final. Basgall was .010 and ran 6.901 on the 6.87 dial, Covington was experiencing some problems on the line and left with a .674 reaction time and ran 6.679 on the 6.65 dial.